When Donghae wakes up the next day, the events of the last night feel exactly like a dream. Only, the comb that Hyukjae gave him is real, so much that there are marks in his hand from where he clutched it tightly in his sleep.

Donghae goes through work as usual that night, and by that time, last night has already become a far memory. But somehow, every time this customer makes him do something he doesn’t like, Hyukjae’s face flashes in his mind and it all becomes much easier.

Throughout the week, he keeps the comb tucked inside his obi, and whenever things get tough, its presence seems to give him strength, a smile on his face and a pleasant memory to push him on.

Still, he doesn’t expect to see Hyukjae again – a customer’s promises are nothing but Sakura blossoms to him – magnificent while they are there, but flighty and not meant to last.

Imagine his surprise when on market day, sitting bored behind the cages, he sees that finely cropped head of golden hair again.

~*~

“Why are you here again?”

Hyukjae turns around in surprise at the question that is thrown at him the minute both he and Donghae enters the prepared room. He raises an eyebrow that has its own special smile of amusement. “You always this rude to your customers?”

“…” Donghae knows Hyukjae has got a point, but even in surprise, his tongue knows its business better than his brain. “I’m sorry… I’ll try that again. Why are you here, o-honoured second prince of Chousen, my Lord and liege?”

Hyukjae stiffens and Donghae watches as his face falls and he turns away. The sparkle in his eyes dim and it looks almost as if it had been locked away behind translucent glass. “…Don’t… just… don’t…”

Feeling guilty although he doesn’t know exactly what he’d done wrong, Donghae diverts his eyes. “Sorry…” He mutters, and is surprised at how easy apologizing is, when he usually wriggles his way out of anything that might bend his pride.

“No… it’s okay.” Hyukjae smiles, and after a moment the spark is back, although dimmed. And somehow Donghae knows he will try his hardest through the night to bring it entirely back. “Come… let’s go and play computer games today!”

“…What?” Donghae’s eyes widen in confusion but before he can say anything more, he is pulled out of the room as Hyukjae rushes past him excitedly.

And Donghae stumbles all the way to the door, this time not even managing to grab his coat nor having time to change to his outside shoes. He runs through the street in his bedroom slippers, rushing after an elated man who is behaving like a child.

But the more he runs, the more balance he regains, and soon, he is running as fast as Hyukjae, and if he hadn’t not known the way, he would have been the one leading.

Then, Hyukjae turns his head around, and Donghae sees that the sparkle is back. And somehow, the Zinnia’s heart soars as they run together to the same beat, hand in hand, away from the candy lights of the floating world.

~*~

For the next month, things progress in the same way. Hyukjae will pay a ridiculous amount at the bidding and bring Donghae out on what Leeteuk has begun to coin as ‘excursions’. Donghae learns fast, and soon he hangs his coat and walking shoes near the door so that he can grab them easily on the way out. He’d rather not tell Mama-san not to prepare the room despite the waste – somehow, he doesn’t want to see Mama-san’s judgemental look because he knows that he would be tempted to hit her if he did, benefactress or not.

They always do seemingly childish things that don’t fit Hyukjae’s position, but do his person. Things that seem so mundane that you and I would raise eyebrows at – but it is no surprise that they do, because as Hyukjae finds out, Donghae has never flown kites before, nor has he played with marbles, nor gone to the Summer Matsuri and actually stuff his face rather than just being an arm accessory of a noble’s whim.

For Donghae, the rest of the days seem to meld together, the Zinnia going through them as routine. He doesn’t remember their contents, only wishing that they’d pass faster to Market day.

He definitely is not expecting for a knock to come on his windowsill one day while he is dressing from after his afternoon bath and when he turns around he sees Hyukjae winking at him.

He must have looked like he’s about to scream, because Hyukjae is in front of him in a second, putting a hand over Donghae’s mouth and whispering reassuring whispers. “Shh… It’s okay. It’s just me… Keep quiet for a moment and I’ll tell you what’s happening, alright?”

Donghae doesn’t need any explanation really, because at the next moment, he hears the thunder of footsteps and the words “prince”, “escaped” and “find”. Wriggling out of Hyukjae’s hold, Donghae eyes him with barely concealed amusement. “You escaped from the palace?”

“Now, now. What’s this disbelief?” Hyukjae quirks his eyebrow in that special way of his. “I’ve been escaping my guards since I was a knave no more than five.”

“I didn’t say I doubted your ability… but don’t you have princely duties to attend to?” Donghae shakes his head in mock disapproval. “Although I wouldn’t know, being only a lowly Zinnia.”

“Hmmph.” Hyukjae snorts as he takes a last glance at the window to ascertain he is safe, before he lies down on the floor, seeming to want to take a nap. “You may be a Zinnia, but you certainly aren’t ‘lowly’.”

“So… What bring the second prince to my chamber whilst I’m only half-dressed?” Donghae asks as he turns his attention to the hanger which his inner robe hung from.

At the sentence, Hyukjae finally seems to realize that Donghae is topless. He wonders why he didn’t realize before and speculates that it’s because Donghae doesn’t seem the least bothered about it. Hyukjae however, doesn’t have the same inhibitions and his face tints pink. “Oh! Er… Carry on.”

Amused, Donghae cannot help but tease Hyukjae further as he slips on the thin piece of silk. “Why are you so embarrassed? We are both men, aren’t we not?”

Hyukjae swallows and turns away, deigning to answer.

Donghae’s next comment is innocent and designed to turn Hyukjae a shade darker of red. “Well, you are lucky then…” and at Hyukjae’s questioning look, he continues, “That I’m not someone who wears the upper clothings first.”

Hyukjae lets out a sound that is akin to a cat being put through a shredder and Donghae finally relents, tying the inner sash before sitting comfortably beside Hyukjae. “Wit aside, you haven’t answered my question – What brings you here?”

“Can’t I just come and visit?” Hyukjae replies lazily, his eyes fluttering close as he basks in the sunlight like a cat.

“It’s not Market day.” Donghae replies just as simply. He knows that despite his reputation saying otherwise, Hyukjae is not as lazy, irresponsible and disrespectful of the palace rules as people think he is.

“…” Hyukjae sighs, knowing Donghae will not let him rest until he tells. “Things are… testy… between our country and Xing now. However, my brother is busy with the westerners, and I have no choice but to help him smooth over the ruffled feathers.”

“Things not going well?” Donghae guesses from Hyukjae’s tone. As well as the tired dark circles under the prince’s eyes that would have gone unnoticed if Donghae hadn’t had that face in his dreams for the month past.

Hyukjae makes a sound Donghae takes for a yes, and with a rueful chuckle, Donghae shifts himself, sitting seiza as he pulls Hyukjae into his lap. The prince opens his eyes questioningly until Donghae puts a hand over them, and Hyukjae has no choice but to close them again.

Seconds later, he is answered not by words, but by the strong yet gentle hands rubbing away the exhaustion from his temple.

“Sleep.” Donghae orders simply, and despite being royalty and thus not obliged to obey a commoner’s word, Hyukjae does so.

That day, Donghae learns that even princes snore in their sleep and let loose lips whisper their problems of the daytime.

~*~

“Should you really be coming over so much?” Donghae asks Hyukjae one day.

Hyukjae opens one eye from his supposed nap in surprise. “Why…? Don’t you like me coming over?”

“I do!” Donghae immediately reassures, placing a hand on Hyukjae’s shoulder gently before he continues. “It’s just… is it wise for the second prince to waste so much of our country’s resources on visiting a Zinnia every week?” ‘And not even doing much when he does…’

Hyukjae lifts up a hand and clasps it tightly onto the one Donghae has on his shoulder. “I’d never think that visiting you would ever be a waste, but I understand your point. The truth is, this money is all budgeted for my allowance, and if I don’t use it, it’d just be gathering dust back in the treasury. At least, this way, the money is back in the circular flow and giving income to more people.”

Donghae understands the economics behind Hyukjae’s rationalizing, but stubborn, he continues. “But even if you argue that way, shouldn’t you use that money to do more… charitable things? You don’t know where the money goes to in the circular flow, and most likely it’d only be benefiting the rich in the end. But if you donate that money to… let’s say… the orphanages, then you’d know at least it’s definitely benefiting someone who needs it at least.”

Hyukjae eyes Donghae for a while, before he sits up and tilts Donghae’s face upwards so he can stare into the man’s burnt amber eyes. Donghae squirms under his knowing gaze, and without any significant stimulant, his cheeks burn pink. “Hyuk-”

“What prompted all of this?” Hyukjae pre-empts, tilting his head curiously. And when Donghae only diverts his eyes, Hyukjae knows he’s guessed right. “It was walking past the orphanage yesterday wasn’t it?”

Donghae doesn’t know what to reply to that, and hastily changes the topic. Hyukjae grins and looks as if he wants to add more, but he complies with Donghae’s wishes in the end, and the conversation moves on to something more mundane.

The next day, Donghae hears about an anonymous donor who’s pledged an eye-popping sum of money to renovate the city’s orphanage and a smile comes to his face.

~*~

It is Temple day when Leeteuk wakes him before the rooster crows. Blinking blearily, Donghae stares at the elder a while before understanding comes from the apologetic look Leeteuk has.

Donghae’s face falls – with all the happiness Hyukjae brought with him, Donghae had let his guard down and forgot about the unpleasant necessities of the floating world.

“What is it this time?” Donghae asks, his voice shaky with sleep and anxiety.

“Testing.” Leeteuk swallows at the sudden rise of panic and fear on Donghae’s face and apologizes for something beyond his control. “I’m sorry…”

Donghae sighs and reaches up to cup his Hyung’s cheek with a soft smile. “You of all people should not apologize.” He pulls the covers off him and reties the sash around his waist so that he is more presentable. Standing up, he gives Leeteuk a reassuring smile even though it should be the other way around.

Leeteuk looks up with a look of worry in his sole eyes which makes Donghae turn his eyes to the ceiling in exasperation. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. I’m still in my prime after all.”

“Hae…” Leeteuk frowns in disapproval and Donghae thinks that this is more like his bossy, mother-hen Hyung.

“I’m the second prince’s favourite remember? I don’t think Mama-san is tired of the prestige yet that she wants to get rid of me.” Donghae says with a flighty smile as he walks out of the room, spewing confidence he does not feel.

~*~

It is no joke, however, the contents of Donghae and Leeteuk’s conversation. Reality is what it is instead – a practice that is economically and practically sound, but harsh and barbaric to those it concerns.

What it is, is simple a routine – that every month, a Zinnia has to at least take a day job – one different and usually less pleasant than even the activities they did at night. The really lucky ones do modelling or filming of advertisements. Some do menial tasks like gracing a store as a staff for a day, or door-to-door delivery of ‘special’ mail. Most are human subjects to test new things – food, drinks, medical equipment…

Drugs.

More than just this, however, is the cold calculation behind this practice.

On a more innocent side, this is meant to help a failing Zinnia establishment tide over hard times. Day jobs, especially the testing ones, tended to pay well for the services, sometimes even more than the night-time customers.

They pay even more if the Zinnia who is tested on is seriously injured, or dies in the process. The more prominent the insurance companies backing the test, the better the compensation.

It is this which the proprietors of the Zinnia establishments take advantage of. If a Zinnia fails to provide for the establishment, or reaches the end of his or her prime and proves to be more of a burden than an asset; then proprietors tend to make use of these day jobs to get one last compensation out of the Zinnia.

It is rare that a Zinnia subjected to this treatment gets out of it alive. Even rarer than he or she gets out of it unscathed.

And it is what Leeteuk so disapproved of when Donghae made light of it. Even if Donghae was the Tayuu of the house, even if he was making a record amount for the establishment, even if it was unlikely that Mama-san wished to strike Donghae off, there was still an off-chance that the testing might end up fatal, even if it was something as innocent as testing a new candy.

“Master Renge.” A pleasant enough voice pulls Donghae from distracting himself with the way the light shifts among the nearby shades. And he looks up with a forced smile. The assistant is small and looks harmless enough, yet Donghae’s heart pounds faster.

He hides his anxiety with a polite smile. “Yes?”

“This way, if you might.” The assistant gestures towards the testing room and as Donghae complies by walking forward, listening stiffly to the instructions given. “You’ll be given two injections. The first one is filled with stimulated flu virus, and you should feel the ill effects after five minutes. Once that takes effect, we will inject a second which will contain the new cure we are testing.”

The nod which he gives is a lie – he is not ready for what is to come. However, he can only go in and do as they say. He prays that he will come out alive, kicking and at best, entirely fine.

He still has yet to skip stones at the lake - Hyukjae has promised to take him the next Market day.

~*~

The cure works. Donghae is free of the flu after he takes it.

However, he is plagued with a fever, vomiting, pain in his stomach and the runs. And he lies, miserable in his bed even with Leeteuk being pulled away from his usual duties to take care of him.

After the tenth time he has to lean over into the basin to throw up, there is nothing in his stomach but air and acid. His mouth burns, the sour taste refusing to go even as Leeteuk hands him a cup of water to drink. It tastes bland in his mouth.

“I hate this.” He states after the twentieth time, and Leeteuk can only pat him on the back, handing him that self-same cup of water.

After the fiftieth time, he drains the cup before he gets up and limps for the toilet. He refuses the ambrosia Leeteuk tries to force on him. And Leeteuk sighs, mistaking the refusal solely for Donghae’s pride, not realizing that there is something more behind it this time.

Days later, Donghae soon loses count of the times he has leaned over the abused bucket and when that happens, he supposes it could be worse. He could have been paralysed, or mute, or deaf, or dead. He supposes he should be grateful.

But he isn’t, because this means he has to resign himself to a day without Hyukjae, for there is no way he can recover by tomorrow.

~*~

There is a sign that has been put up since Rice Day on the cage which Donghae usually sits in that Renge would not be available until further notice due to unforeseen circumstances. Hyukjae only sees it four days after.

Yesung yelps when an even bigger sum of money than usual is stuffed into his hand and he stares after his prince who only answers with a curt – “If Donghae isn’t up for bids, it only means that Bara will be even more in demand than usual.”

He takes off, walking into the establishment despite protests, easily silencing them with a gold coin pressed into each restraining hand. Yesung watches and is about to chase when he realizes what his prince said is truth and rushes off to the bidding area for Bara instead.

Watching all this is the silent Kangin, and his face is unreadable as he turns his eyes to a floor above and to a silhouette projected on the rice paper that seems to be looking down at him before it walks quickly away.

Kangin sighs and hastens into the darkness where imaginary assailants lie in wait for the prince.

~*~

It is the next morning, and Donghae opens his eyes to find the biggest surprise of his life looking down at him.

“Hyuk- urp!” He tries to get up and regrets it, frantically looking around before he spills his guts onto the tatami. Someone shoves the bucket that he has been using in front of him and he thankfully accepts. It is only after he wipes his mouth with his dirty sleeve that he freezes, realizing that there can be only one person who pushed the bucket where it is.

“W-what…?” He asks in wonder, too ragged to form complete questions. “How…? Why…?”

Hyukjae raises an eyebrow and turns around to squeeze the cloth in its cold water basin as he answers. “I’m presuming you’re asking: ‘What I’m doing here’, ‘How did I get in here without the proprietor complaining’ and ‘Why am I here’.”

He doesn’t wait for Donghae’s confirmation before he continues. “Well, let’s start with the hardest – how I got in here. Well, it was rather complicated. First I stormed my way through using the way of the coin, before I was thwarted right outside your door by the proprietor. That was easily dealt with by the way of the note. The hardest to deal with was the man who was looking after you. I had to write a promise in blood that I take proper care of you, and if you died, my life would be forfeit as well.”

Donghae would have answered, but his stomach acts up again, and he dry-heaves into the bucket, Hyukjae hurriedly rubbing his back as he continues to answer.

“What I’m doing here is another easily explainable question.” Hyukjae chatters, and Donghae realizes it’s a distraction – although whether for him or the prince is a questionable matter. “You’re sick. I’m taking care of you.”

Donghae wipes his mouth when he was done, and with a wry grin he continues Hyukjae’s barrage of words. “And why you are here is supposed to be the easiest of all, huh? It’s to make fun of me while you ‘take care’ of me… no?”

To Donghae’s surprise, Hyukjae’s expression turns serious as he shakes his head. “You take me for meaner than I really am…”

“Then… why?” for Donghae can see no other reason than that. Hyukjae is kind, but Donghae never thinks that the attraction he has for the prince is anything other than one way. He knows that no man with Hyukjae’s power could have the same self-control that Hyukjae shows unless he is not interested.

Hyukjae smiles and leans forward, and then Donghae realizes that he doesn’t know anything at all.

The kiss is soft and gentle. Nothing he has received before matches to it. And he realizes that he’s gotten it all wrong – that his world view is as skewed in direction as Hyukjae’s is, only towards the opposite.

It is pleasurable, but Donghae has the mind to realize that his scale of the world has become more balanced, and that Hyukjae is enough to counter all the pain and suffering he has had in this cruel world of his. He also worries that the bile in his throat might rise and spoil the whole thing.

Then Hyukjae does something with his tongue, and Donghae realizes that he doesn’t have the capacity to realize anymore.

Outside, Leeteuk raps three maids on the head, reprimanding them for peeking. But when they run off, he peeks himself and giggles at what he sees.

Apparently, the prince isn’t as innocent as all of them had initially thought.

~*~